Definition
by BoundToTheBlueMountains
Summary: What does it mean to be a "good trainer?" After losing to Serena yet again outside Ramos's gym, Calem wonders if he really is any good. Serena helps him realize that Calem's his own worst critic. *Cover image is not mine, and all credit goes to the artist* One-shot, no slash or OCs.


**A.N:** I've been replaying X and Y lately, and I shamelessly admit I ship Calem and Serena HARD. XD

So, without further ado, here's a fluffy oneshot.

Enjoy! Thanks for reading.

 **0o0o0**

Calem sighed as he recalled his Braixen, rubbing the outside of the pokeball like a gesture of comfort. Another loss. It was close, Calem almost won multiple times, but in the end Serena triumphed just like always.

And Calem couldn't help but feel frustrated by it all.

Every time, _every single time_ he has ever challenged his rival, he ends up with nothing but a crushing loss. It didn't seem to matter how much extra training he did, or how confident he seemed, or how much careful preparation he put into his team, he _always_ lost. An irreversible fact at this point.

And facts, no matter how hard it is to accept them, are facts for a reason. They're true.

Realizing he hadn't said anything since Serena won, he blinked and looked upwards, only to see storm gray eyes clouded with concern.

Calem cleared his throat awkwardly. "I always seem to forget how strong you are."

Serena simply frowned and took a step closer, as if she was approaching a wounded animal. Calem suddenly noticed the fact that he was still unconsciously rubbing Braixen's pokeball and began to blush in embarrassment.

She finally spoke, her voice soft and gentle, as if he was a frightened Pidgey with a broken wing. "Are you alright?"

Calem instantly nodded, wanting nothing more than to reassure her. It was his problem, not hers. It wouldn't be right to burden her when he could fix the problem on his own.

Serena smiled then, a sight Calem always preferred. It was odd to see Serena, who was usually sweet yet confident, be marred by something as little as a frown. It bothered Calem to see her like that, especially considered he caused it.

"You almost had me there," she said with a grin. "Quite a few times, actually."

Calem grimaced before he realized what he was doing. _Emphasizing almost,_ he thought bitterly, as he turned to look at _anything_ other than the sad look on her face that he knew was coming.

Calem was proven correct as Serena's grin fell instantly as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright? You're acting like something's bothering you."

He was too distracted by the fact that her hand still rested on his shoulder, and how warm he suddenly felt, before realizing she asked a question.

"Nothing," he blurted.

Serena took her hand away and raised an eyebrow in skepticism. "I beg to differ."

Calem abruptly looked elsewhere and stared at the winding monorail track below, unsure how to word what he'd been feeling for weeks now. (Was it really only weeks? It felt like he'd been thinking this way his whole life.)

Still not making eye contact, _(_ _he can't beat her or look her in the eye, how impressive_ _)_ he began. "You remember how before you moved to Vaniville, it was only supposed to be me getting a pokemon?"

Serena nodded, her eyes locked onto him, making Calem increasingly uncomfortable. He took a deep breath before continuing. "It wasn't because of who _I_ was, it was because of my parents."

Calem stopped briefly to stare at the ground, memories beginning to resurface and clutch at his heartstrings desperately.

 _Wow, he looks just like you! Hopefully he'll battle just as well!_

 _The product of the best trainers in Kalos! He'll go far, I guarantee._

 _Such a nice young man. If genetics serves him right, he'll be the champion in no time._

He shut his eyes tightly, the words like stinging paper cuts. It's all he's ever heard from his parent's friends, and even his own relatives. He was never just Calem, he was Calem, his parent's son.

Yet another fact he couldn't ignore.

"My parents are some of the best trainers in Kalos," he continued. "They both have all eight gym badges, and would've gone to the league if my dad didn't propose soon after."

Calem glanced back at Serena, and her expression held deep understanding and...sympathy?

Feeling encouraged, Calem finished off the story. "Everyone expects me to be just as good as my parents, maybe even better. I can beat everyone else in battle...so...why can't I beat you?"

He couldn't help but add one other fact. "And it makes me wonder...am I really a good trainer? I've trained and trained and yet...I still lose."

There was a potent silence afterwords. He still didn't meet her eyes. He was afraid to see her reaction. Calem's eyes locked on a nearby bush as an alternative.

Calem didn't understand why people thought that telling how you feel would make you feel better. Instead, he felt like a Stantler caught in headlights, waiting for a truck of ridicule to crush him flat.

Finally, he heard Serena inhale sharply and speak in a low, quiet tone. "Did you hear what I said earlier? About you almost having me?"

Calem gave a single nod, still staring at the bush.

"I wasn't lying. It was a matter of luck that I won, to be honest."

Calem finally rotated to look at her, to see gray eyes studying him keenly. "What's your point?"

"My point is," she said firmly, "you are the only trainer that I have met so far, that has actually given me a challenge. You actually make me _think,_ and you have me grind down and use techniques I never would've thought of. _That_ is a good trainer."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she shot him down with a glare that would make a Dusknoir stop in its tracks. "Don't you dare deny it, you know it's true. And if the only reason you're denying it is because I always win, that's besides the point. Winning isn't everything Calem. If you ask me, making the longest stand, giving it your all the whole battle, _which you do,_ is the measure of a good trainer."

Calem gave a faint smile, but looked back to the bush all the same. "Thanks, but...I still can't help but feel that you're always one step ahead of me."

This time Serena smirked and punched his shoulder lightly. "Because _I_ march right into a gym instead of training all day. Honestly Calem, stop beating yourself up. _I_ think you're good, your gym badges say you're good, so why can't _you_ agree?"

"You _may_ have a point," Calem teased, finally looking at his rival directly in the eye. And all he saw were eyes full of acceptance.

Serena squeezed his hand (making Calem hope his palms weren't sweaty) and looked towards the monorail. "So I found this great cafe earlier in Lumiose. You wanna go get the best hot chocolate in Kalos?" She glanced at him and grinned,

Calem hesitated. "Isn't Lumiose kinda far from here?"

Brightening significantly, Serena started rifling through her purse to pull out a shiny new hidden machine. "Almost forgot to give you this! It's the hidden machine for Fly. I ran into the professor and he asked me to give it to you."

As she handed him the disk, their fingers brushed together. Serena's cheeks turned slightly pink as she quickly let go and released her Pidgeyotto, climbing onto its back.

"See you there!" she called, waving like she was leaving for months instead of minutes. Giving Calem one final smile, her Pidgeyotto took off towards the city.

Calem stared at where she originally was for a few moments, feeling an odd mixture of nauseous and content.

He turned the hidden machine over in his hands a few times, watching the light catch off the disk.

Training could wait today.

 **A.N:** Lemme know if you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. :3 I love these two. XD

I am aware Serena doesn't have a Pidgeyotto when you fight her, but she didn't have a pokemon that could use Fly either, so therefore I gave her one.

Thanks again for reading, and have a great day/night! :)


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